The present invention relates to a vehicle seat unit and more particularly relates to a vehicle seat unit adapted to be moved from an operative position to a stored position, the seat unit, in the stored position, presenting an upper surface substantially flush with the floor of the vehicle in which the seat is mounted, to provide a load-carrying platform of substantial area.
Seats of this type are often utilized in estate cars or cars of the xe2x80x9cMPVxe2x80x9d type.
There have been many prior proposed seat arrangements of the present type, but this invention seeks to provide an improved seat arrangement that is comfortable in use and which is easy to manufacture, and which is simple in design, whilst making optimum use of the available space.
According to this invention there is provided a seat for a motor vehicle, the seat comprising a squab and a back, the squab being mounted for movement along guide means from an operative position to a stored position remote from the operative position, the seat-back being pivotally mounted for movement from an operative position to a stored position, part of the seat-back when in the stored position, occupying space that was occupied by the squab of the seat when the squab of the seat was in the operative position, the seat being mountable in a motor vehicle in such a way that part of the back of the seat, when in the stored position, is substantially flush with part of the floor of the motor vehicle to provide a load-carrying platform, the squab of the seat being mounted for movement and wherein the squab of the seat, when in the stored position is located beneath part of the floor of the motor vehicle.
Conveniently a releasable catch is provided to retain the squab of the seat in the operative position.
Preferably a stay is provided to retain the back of the seat in the operative position and wherein a catch is provided adapted to move part of the stay to enable the back of the seat to be moved to the stored position, the catch being actuated by means carried by the squab of the seat when the squab of the seat is in or being moved towards its stored position.